FEDERALISM

In 2013, Sutherland Institute started a unique project to work directly on finding community-driven solutions to the problems facing our states and the country. The result is The Coalition for Self-Government in the West. CSGW’s mission is to protect freedom and opportunity by promoting federalism and equipping state leaders – both public and private – to reclaim their powers and responsibilities under the United States Constitution.

One-size-fits-all federal mandates stifle innovation and prosperity by ignoring cultural, social and economic diversity. Community-driven solutions work because innovative thinking begins with those on the ground who understand local conditions and circumstances, resulting in principled and sensible public policy. This is not left and right, it’s local.

Rescind Bears Ears

Last year, President Barack Obama gave in to pressure from corporate interests, extreme environmental groups and out-of-state tribal leaders by designating the 1.35-million-acre Bears Ears National Monument. This decision was not about sensible land management policy or the well-being of locals whose culture and livelihood depend on public lands. Instead, it was a narrow-minded and unilateral decision that ignored grassroots Native American groups, local and state elected representatives, and the people of San Juan County. They deserve better. We invite you to stand with locals in opposition and call on the Trump Administration to rescind this designation.

Dusty Trails

The Erosion of Grazing in the American West

The American West – a phrase that evokes images of snowcapped mountain peaks, an endless sea of sagebrush, and of course the self-reliant cowboy driving cattle across our nation’s vast interior. Grazing has provided a means by which generations of Westerners have put food on their tables, sent their kids to college, and made the American Dream a reality. But cowboys see ranching as much more than just a livelihood – it is an integral part of their culture and imperative to their way of life. Today, that lifestyle is being threatened by federal anti-grazing land management practices that exacerbate market forces.

Dusty Trails

The Erosion of Grazing in the American West

The American West – a phrase that evokes images of snowcapped mountain peaks, an endless sea of sagebrush, and of course the self-reliant cowboy driving cattle across our nation’s vast interior. Grazing has provided a means by which generations of Westerners have put food on their tables, sent their kids to college, and made the American Dream a reality. But cowboys see ranching as much more than just a livelihood – it is an integral part of their culture and imperative to their way of life. Today, that lifestyle is being threatened by federal anti-grazing land management practices that exacerbate market forces.

Monumental Growth

A new study conducted by the Coalition for Self-Government in the West finds that the last 40 years have seen a significant hike in the amounts of land and water being designated by presidents of both political parties. Expansive designations are inconsistent with the original intent of the Antiquities Act. They threaten our national treasures and impose unnecessarily high economic opportunity costs.